


The Soft Tones Of A Piano

by Tealous



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Drinking, F/F, Kissing, rosemary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-24 07:56:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10737438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tealous/pseuds/Tealous
Summary: Kanaya Meets Someone Rather Enticing At the Bar...





	The Soft Tones Of A Piano

The soft, steady music of a piano filled the bar, helping to create a soothing atmosphere for anyone within the building. The composer herself sat upon her stool, her fingers flying across the keys with care, precision and grace. Her body seemed to sway with the music, almost as if it were literally pouring from her hands and into the piano for all to hear. Occasionally, her head would bob as she searched the crowd, her gaze landing on mine more than once this evening.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t staring right back.

While the music itself held me captive, the artist is what had me transfixed. Short, blonde hair was pushed back from her surely pretty face, a black headband tucked behind human ears to hold the golden locks into place. Black lips, painted to perfection, held an ever-present smirk, and the corners of her mouth seemed to twitch upward ever so slightly when she first took note of my constant observation. The music came to a dark end, the last notes ringing in my ears at her finish. A moment passed as she sat there, allowing the silence to unfold naturally and settle in the piano’s place. She stood after the short stretch of time, giving a bow as a sparse few clapped. I was one of them.

Once the applause died down, the artist straightened and walked off stage, and I finally lost sight. With a sigh, I turned to my grumpy companion for the first time that night since she had begun to play. He gave me his signature scowl, and I knew he was debating about whether or not to say something about my ogling. He eventually decided to stay quiet, continuing to nurse at the drink in his hand. I was surprised at the lack of outburst from his part, but I wasn’t about to complain. Instead, I tipped back my glass of water and swallowed a small mouthful. Someone had to be the designated driver.

A small tap on my shoulder brought my attention away from the refreshing beverage, and I turned to see who was requesting it. It was likely Dave demanding that I move aside so he could set down whatever drinks he had scrounged up. He had left to gather some from the bar a few minutes prior, along with Terezi. So, with that in mind, I set my own glass down and turned towards the blonde. However, instead of the emotionless shades I had grown to know, my eyes met with a curious shade of lavender.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

 

** o=o **

 

Rose Lalonde.

That was her name, and it rolled about in my mind as easily as the drink swirled about in my glass. I wasn’t too keen on alcohol, but when an attractive woman offers to buy you some, you don’t pass up the offer; especially if she comes along with it.

I found that she had quite the taste for spirits, having already downed four drinks to my two. Her cheeks were starting to show a dust of pink, and the confident smirk had grown into something fuller. The alcohol was starting to affected me similarly so, and it resided warmly in my stomach with each sip. Still, I did my best not to let it show as openly.

A single finger tapped against the rim of her glass before circling twice and repeating. My eyes followed each minute movement with an unintended focus, watching the digit gather stray grains of sugar. After a sufficient amount had been collected, it was raised to painted lips with what seemed to be slow, deliberate movements. It was likely my mind reading more into the action than what was meant, however. That being said, it didn’t stop my envy of the sweetener as a pink tongue darted out to lick the appendage clean.

Oh, to be that sugar…

“Kanaya?” She called out my name, prodding me from my daze. She was staring at me now, her gaze expectant. My own darted down to the bar sheepishly, a jade blush rising rapidly to my face at being caught. “I Apologize, Rose. I Seemed To Have Spaced Out.”

“So I see.” She covered her growing smile with a hand, her eyes sparkling with untold humor. “Do you find my company that tedious?”

At her words, my own eyes widened and a panicked feeling began to settle in my chest. “I – No! Of Course Not! If Anything, I Find Your Presence Rather Refreshing, If A Little Hazy Due To The Intoxicants. You’ll Have To Forgive Me; I Don’t Drink Very Often If At All. Oh Dear, I’m Getting Off Subject, Aren’t I? But, The Reasoning Behind My Spacing Out Is Not Because I Find You ‘Tedious’ But More Enticing! I Was Rather Fixed On Your Finger And The Way It Was Gathering The Sugar Off The Glass And –”

“Kanaya, you’re rambling.” Rose cut me off effectively, pressing a finger against my lips. The same, once-sugar-coated one. “I was teasing you, dear. Even if you are rather cute when flustered, try not to get so worked up. That is, unless I’m the one getting you worked up.”

She shot me a wink at her Freudian slip, withdrawing the digit. “Now, as I had previously stated, would you like to play a game?”

“It Depends On The Structure Of Your Game And The Stakes At Hand. If Both Align With My Interests, Well, I Believe The Phrase Is ‘I’m Game’.” A giggle confirmed that I had used the phrase appropriately (Or perhaps she was just laughing at my odd use of it?), and I watched as she waved a bartender over.

“I propose a simple Q/A contest – with a slight twist. We answer honestly and then take a shot. If you fail to provide an answer or finish your shot in one go or at all, you lose. One question per turn.”

“And If One Wins?” I watched as the bartender made his way over, a bottle of clear liquid in hand. I inwardly grimaced at the thought of the liquid, recalling the time Dave had dared me to drink an entire bottle of vodka. Thinking it to be some fancy water he had bought, I had managed to get through two swallows before I realized it was not. By the third I had been hacking and coughing up the repulsive tasting fire-in-a-bottle.

“Winner gets to pick the loser’s consequence. It’s simple, really.”

He set down two shot glasses and the bottle (Which I could now name Everclear), and Rose shot him a grateful smile. “Thank you John~.”

“Yea, yea. Just don’t start making out at the bar or anything; I don’t want to get yelled at.” He responded with a frown, though the corners of his mouth kept twitching upward ever-so-slightly. It was almost as if he was trying to keep from smiling.

“No promises.” The pianist waved him off with her own grin, pouring shots of the spirits. “So, Kanaya, what’ll it be? Are you going to leave me to drink all of this myself, or are you going to help me?”

“I Will Play.” I quickly downed the remainder of my ‘screwdriver’ (I found the name to be quite odd, but I had accepted anyway.), setting the empty glass to the side for the John human. “Your Rules Intrigue Me. So Does The Prize.”

“I had high hopes that both would.” Rose crossed her legs, the material of her skirt riding up just enough to leave my imagination working overdrive. “You can start your inquiry whenever you please.”

I cleared my throat, hoping to dislodge the sudden ‘frog’ that had managed to hop its way in. My eyes darted from the newly revealed skin, and I focused instead upon my shot glass as a million questions ran through my head. Each was more redundant and obvious than the last, so I plucked one out from the masses, as if it were nothing more than figurative slips of paper in a hat. “Is Piano The Only Instrument You Play?”

“No, I play a multitude of instruments. My favorite is violin; piano pays better, however.” She downed her shot without complaint or grimace. Taking this into observation, I noted that is mustn’t taste as bad as I had feared. “Do you work?” She refilled her glass, the spirits sloshing over the side slightly.

“I Do. I Am A Seamstress And Own My Own Shop, Though It Is Small. I Create And Repair Clothing.” I knocked back the alcohol after answering, and I nearly choked. I had been wrong. It was worse than the vodka, and it held an uncanny similarity to both the taste and smell of rubbing alcohol. Still, I managed to swallow (by some miracle), a hand flying up to my mouth to replace the glass. “My Gog, That Was Strong.” My eyes stung with unshed tears, and my throat burned with a growing intensity with each cough. “How Did You Manage To Keep A Straight Face?”

“It’s 180 proof.” Rose responded, thin fingers covering her growing smile. “As for my expression, let’s just say I’ve had quite a bit of this before.”

“I Am Afraid I Don’t Know Whether I Am To Applaud Your Liver Or Take It Straight To Your Human AA Meetings.” I admitted with a final cough, setting my empty shot down for her to fill. “I Believe It Is My Turn For A Question.” Rose gave a nod in confirmation. “Do… Do You Have Any Hobbies?”

“Well, I have written quite the extensive lists of novels in my day. I have even published a few.” Rose took her drink with the slightest of ease, again. “I enjoy reading as much as writing, and my library is quite extensive with both mine and other’s works. I also knit.”

“My, I Will Have To Read A Few, Should You Permit Me Of Course.”

“Maybe I will.” There was a mischievous gleam to her eye, and she pushed my now-full glass forward. “Let’s see… Are you in any relationships?”

I raised an eyebrow at her forwardness, but decided to play along. “If You Are Referring To My Quadrants, Then Yes. I Am In A Relationship.”

“Oh…” She seemed to take this in, thinking only a moment before asking a follow-up. “Which Quadrant?”

“I Believe You Said ‘Only One Question Per Turn.”

A quirk of the lips. “That I did.”

The second time tasted no better than my first, but it went down easier. As for the question, I decided to reuse one of hers from earlier. “What Do You Do For A Living?”

“I’m an author, and, as you may have observed earlier, I play gigs here on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It doesn’t pay as much as my book royalties do, but it helps.” She emptied another glass, and I filled her shot for her. The bottle was heavy and unfamiliar in my hand, only proving further of my inexperience.

She wasted no time, asking the moment her lips were free. “Which of your quadrants are filled?”

“My Moirailance Is The Only Quadrant Unavailable. The Rest Are Emptier Than The Bottom Of This Glass.” I commented, instantly draining the mentioned dish of its disgusting contents. Her fingers, now clumsy with liquid courage, set upon pouring me yet another shot. My own hand covered hers as she near-dropped the bottle in her deed, steadying her hold and the decent of the alcohol. She ducked her head in what seemed to be embarrassment, though I could see a victorious grin pull across painted lips. Intriguing.

Setting the Everclear to the side once more, I released both it and my date’s hand; thankfully, Rose didn’t seem too off put by it. She seemed to look a lot more confident due to my answer, a thoughtful expression crossing her features. It was as if she were mulling for one final question that would crown her the winner.

Drumming my fingers against the wooden bar, I considered my own options on what to ask. It didn’t take long for me to find a suitable question for our game, and it was halfway out of my mouth before I had thought it over. “What Would You Say Is Your Greatest Achievement?”

Great job, Kanaya! Way to make this sound like a job interview, what am I going to ask next? Oh, I know, ‘Are you a leader or a follower?’ should definitely be my follow-up question.

What would I even be interviewing her on? Her greatest qualities in bed? Gog, I hoped not.

While I internally bashed myself over the head with one of Gamzee’s many juggling pins, I externally pushed the smile on my face to stay. Much to your relief, Rose merely giggled at the odd question, pink cheeks flushing even more so at her laughter. “Well, Miss Maryam.” She knocked back her glass before answering, setting back down with a quiet clink. “My greatest achievement would have to be turning a straight woman gay. A good friend of mine, Jade Harley, made a bet with me a year or so back. It was merely for, as my brother would say, shit and giggles. I swear he has such vulgar language (Not that mine is much better). Anyways, I bet I could turn her into a brand new, pristine lesbian within a month. If I failed, I would have to endure a date with a close friend of hers. A charming fellow, but he just didn’t quite fit my tastes or preference.”

“I Take It You Won?”

“Yes, though she still set me up on that date I mentioned earlier.” Rose snickered at the memory, shaking her head. “He and I are still good friends to this day.”

Her eyes flickered over to the John human at her words, and I took the time to pour her another drink. “Pardon my unintentional trip down memory lane; I do believe it’s my turn for a question, yes?” At my nod, she pushed my glass further towards me. Taking the hint, I tipped it back into my mouth.

“How do trolls have sex?”

Instantly, I choked on my drink, the liquid already halfway down my throat. Fumbling to set the glass down sans losing what was left of my dignity, the remaining alcohol sloshed over the side and onto the bar. A knowing, victorious grin spread behind the artist’s fingers at my loss, her shoulder trembling in quiet laughter. My own shook right alongside hers, though for a much different reason.

Coughing to clear my throat and lungs of the cursed drink, I couldn’t help but wonder if she had done that on purpose. Well played, Rose Lalonde, well played.

After what seemed forever, the heaving in my lungs seemed to slow, and I wiped at my burning face. “…… That Was Very Undignified Of Me, Please Pardon That Small Episode.”

“No, no,” she had dropped her head onto the bar by this point, her voice high and airy with glee. “The blame is mine to bear; you merely fell neatly into my hastily sewn plan.”

It took a few moments longer on her part, but she soon settled down. Her face was flushed pleasantly so, a dopey smile apparent against colored cheeks. “Despite my foul play, I do believe you owe me a prize.”

“That I Do.” Despite my slight irritation at the other’s trick, I had made a deal – and lost. It was time for her treat. “Well, Rose, What Will You Have Of Me?”

I could already see the gears turning in that head of hers, eyes bright with unspoken mischief. She slipped from the structure she was currently laying across, leaning towards me with a strange combination of clumsy grace. “… Kiss me.”

“… What?” It took me a moment to register what she had said, though I really shouldn’t have been so surprised at her request. I suppose I hadn’t expected her to be so forward, despite earlier’s obvious advances.

“Kiss me.” She was grinning now, white teeth a shock against the black of her lipstick. She had already hopped off her stool and was sliding towards me, one hand on the bar to steady her. The other reached to cup my cheek, pale digits warm against the gray of my skin. Well, if that’s what she wanted…

I pulled her forward the rest of the way, my own fingers threading through the short, blonde locks at her nape. Who was I to deny her?

Her lips melded against mine softly, if a little sloppily, and my free hand hooked under her knee to pull her onto my lap. She settled there, seemingly happily so, fingernails scraping lightly against my jaw as she set a gentle pace for the two of us. Teeth dragged against my lower lip, tugging it gently into the other’s mouth. A tongue slicked across it momentarily, and she offered a soft suck before returning the appendage.

I responded with a gentle nip against hers, which earned me a muffled giggle. Her free hand slipped from the bar to grip my raven strands, tugging gently to tilt my head back.

I allowed her to, a purr rumbling in my throat lowly as my hands slipped down to her waist. They held fast to her hips, the fabric of her skirt soft to the touch. If I were to inch my finger upward, however, I was sure they would be met with burning skin, flushed from the alcohol and devious thoughts alike. Her teeth pulled at my bottom lip once more, grating across and smearing the lipstick further. She let it be after she toyed with it a moment further, a tongue pressing where her canines once resided.

Feeling braver still, I slid my hands towards her sides, my cooler digits pressing against the front of her stomach (not quite as warm as I had anticipated), causing the skin to jump and settle against me. Her thumb traced slow circles against my cheek, her nose knocking against mine as she readjusted herself, her full weight pressing into me (Which wasn’t very much if I am to be honest). Her tongue slipped past my lips to greet my own, pausing to trace my fangs curiously before continuing. The taste of Everclear was stronger now, and I found myself thinking that I much preferred the drink this way. It didn’t taste so bad off of her, sweeter even.

Her lipstick, bitter tasting contrast to my own, mixed with the alcohol against my palate, and her fingers (which I hadn’t notice move) dug into the back of my neck. Her teeth clinked against mine gently, though accidently, and my fang caught against the skin of her lower lip. A small nick, but she didn’t seem to mind (or maybe she just hadn’t noticed?). I sucked softly at the wound and the tongue sliding about mine, the rich taste of blood diluting the Everclear.

She pulled back, much too soon for my taste, though, she didn’t go far. Her mouth trailed from my own and down to my neck, tilting my head to the side further with gentle nudges. My chest rose with a sharp intake of breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding, relieving a desperate pressure that had been building due to my lack of air. She gave a soft giggle at my panting, biting down gently against my nape. I responded with an approving sigh, a soft exhale that could barely be heard. When she offered a hard suck against her chosen spot, I gave a quiet whine, and the tongue, the same I had become familiar with just moment ago, slicked across.

I was likely quite a sight at this point, both jade and black lipstick smeared across my mouth and down to my neck, where a girl (whom I’d only just met, mind you!) was pressing open-mouthed kisses, hot an sticky, against the skin.

“Hey, uh, Kanaya?”

Damn it Dave.

“I hate to break this up, cause I mean, you’re clearly about to get some. Or give some. Whichever comes first – actually, I think that supposed to be ‘whoever comes first’. Either or I guess. Wait, fuck, no I didn’t need that image stuck in my head, ugh. Anyways, I’m getting off topic here, but the point of this whole monologue deal isn’t about you or her, ya’ know, doing to dirty or dancing the horizontal tango or anything. Well, I mean, it kind of is but isn’t at the same time? Fuck, get to the point Strider. Okay, it’s weird seeing someone who’s basically you mom getting a tongue shoved halfway down her throat by – wait, Rose?” A lilt of surprise showed in his voice, and an incredulous look passed over his features as he stared down at the said woman.

She stared right back him unabashedly, a smirk creeping to those once-painted lips. “Dave.”

“Okay, yea, no. I’m out. Just, go do… this-” he waved a hand at the two of us, clearly more than a tad uncomfortable. “- somewhere else.” With a pained expression (one that was likely overly dramatized on his behalf) and a continuance of his monologue (considering her was muttering to himself under his breath), Dave left us be, stumbling back over to our table of friends.

“…You Knew One Another?” I couldn’t keep the curiosity out of my voice, and I turned my gaze to her own, inquisitive one.

“In all honesty, I was just about to ask you the same thing.” Her words were a tad slurred, but otherwise comprehensible for the time being. “He’s my brother. Well, half-brother. We have the same mother.”

She slid from my lap, grasping onto both the bar and my shoulder for support as she took her time to stand properly (or as properly as one could manage after so many shots). “Should I Expect Any Retaliation From Him?” I slowly stood as well, pulling her to lean against me for support in the bar’s stead. “Most Male Siblings Are Rather Protective Of His Female Counterpart.”

“I do not believe he will take any action against you, save the occasional light teasing and sly commentary. Such is the way of Striders and Lalondes.” She commented, her finger reaching for and lacing through my own. “Though, I am afraid he was right. We may want to move out little show… elsewhere. Others are starting to stare, and John is beginning to become rather irritated.”

She gave my hand a small tug, and it took my feet a staggering moment to realize we were moving. With a growing smile and a giggle of my own, I stumbled after Rose. “Lead The Way.”

**Author's Note:**

> Any Pointers?
> 
> How'd I Do?


End file.
